Address printing machine with roller inker



Feb. 19, 1963- w. J. BRUGGE ETAL 3,077,828

ADDRESS PRINTING MACHINE WITH ROLLER INKER Filed Dec. '7, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 fig -FHtornegs w. J1 BRUGGE ETAL 3,077,828

ADDRESS PRINTING MACHINE WITH ROLLER mxEE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 19, 1963 Filed Deo. '7, 1959 e qv 9 ...E o E ...5. @drm I l, s s f Il? .l f r P vwem n EEETEEEEE Emmi@ e l w ww 3; H. e H .mm1 mm m L 1W vJJ.J. m m. m- EN @NIE u I hw! mw ,f WHMI H r. C |I mu. m=||== INI o o um a Pay w .W E: www w A c. NS .v w NN- 2 @NN .m m: n0- o: no. m2 QQ MQ. o t No m0 fr J di @.@UNHM mwvm E..

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Feb. 19, 1963 w. .1. BRUGGE ETAL 3,077,828

ADDRESS PRINTING MACHINE WITH ROLLER INNER 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Deo. '7, 1959 d' Inventors waHerJames Brugge Carl J. Hueber william J. ampforluml www amd 340mm Hornegs Feb. 19, 1963 w. J. BRUGGE ETAL ADDRESS PRINTING MACHINE: WITH ROLLER INKER Filed Dec. 7, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 mda. Pz ML Feb. 19, 1963 l w. J. BRUGGE ETAL 3,077,828

ADDRESS PRINTING MACHINE WITH ROLLER INKER 6 Sheetseet 6 Filed Deo. 7, 1959 Inventors I wellies James Brugge Car! Jdiueber william J Hampton A aq'l'lromegs United States Patent @ffice 3,677,828 Patented Feb. 19, 1953 3,tl77,'523 ADDRESS PREN'HNG MACHENE til/HH KHLER iNflER Walter .lames Brugge, Cleveland, Carl il. Hueber, Euclid,

and William d. Hampton, South Euclid, Ghia, assignors to Addressograph-Multigraph Qorporation, Cieveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dee. '7, 1959, Ser. No. 357,821 25 Claims. (Ci. lill-5d) This invention relates to printing machines of the kind disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,359,851, and in particular to an ink roll arrangement which supplants the ink ribbon mechanism normally embodied in such a machine.

The machine disclosed in the aforesaid patent is one wherein a well-known form of printing device is passed in a step-by-step fashion by printing device feed means along a guideway in the machine which commences at a supply magazine where numerous of such devices are stacked. A typical printing device of the kind under consideration is illustrated in FlG. l of the aforesaid patent as inclusive of a generally rectangular shaped plate which bears permanent embossed type characters. These type characters are disposed upwardly as the related device passes through the machine, and each such device passing through the machine is eventually maintained stationary at a printing station where a cooperating platen and ink ribbon are normally effective to produce an imprint on a sheet from the aforesaid type characters.

The foregoing system of printing is advantageously employed in connection with the periodic mailing of advertising literature, utility bills, premium notices, dividend checks and in like circumstances where there is a more or less permanent list of individuals involved. ln such a system of printing there will be a printing device allocated to each individual involved bearing the permanent data pertaining to that individual and which is to be used for printing. Thus, in instances where repetitive printing of names and addresses or similar relatively fixed data are involved, the printing system manifested by a machine of the aforesaid kind has been found to be highly efficient and accurate especially since the plates which bear the embossed type characters are of a relatively permanent nature whereby numerous imprints can be made therefrom over a virtually indeterminate number of repeated operations.

As mentioned above, imprints made in the aforesaid machine are usually elected through the medium of an ink ribbon. in nearly all instances such a mode of effecting the imprint is deemed satisfactory, but there are some instances where it is desirable to be able to imprint a heading or the like by means of a printing device of the aforesaid kind without the imprint displaying the unique or stand-out appearance of the ribbon. This occurs particularly in those instances where the sheet to be imprinted from such a device has already been printed with other matter such as a standard advertising, soliciting, announcement or kindred form. ln fact, a form printer attachment can be associated with the machine of the above-identified patent for this purpose, and such is contemplated in the present instance, since it is desired to have the preprinted form and the address or other heading conform in appearance on the printed sheet bearing both.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to supplant the action of ribbon mechanism embodied in the aforesaid machine by an ink roll echanisrn located at an inking station in the machine closely adjacent the supply magazine from which each printing device is initially fed. A related object is to enable the present ink roll unit to be totally disabled if desired -so that the ink ribbon mechanism embodied in the aforesaid machine can be used for standard operations.

Another object of the present invention is to so control the ink roll as to have the same traveling in a forward stroke in contact with said type faces while ena-bling the ink roll to be disposed in an ineffective plane spaced above the type faces during a return stroke of the ink roll. Such control of the ink roll assures the attainment of high speed operations which is a normal characteristic of the aforesaid machine, and no wasted effort is involved inasmuch as the forward stroke of the ink roll under the present invention is sufficient to properly ink the type characters. ln other words, a printing device having its type characters so inked can be fed out of the inking station during the return stroke of the ink roll to its start position.

It will therefore be seen that under the present invention operation of the ink roll can be advantageously timed with respect to the feed mechanism which is used to advance the printing devices along the guideway through the machine, and the accomplishment of this is another object of the present invention.

in many instances it happens that not all of the printing devices passed through said machine will be used to effect imprints. Thus, while there may be many thousands of such devices commonly grouped together in a main group of devices passed through said machine during a particular printing run, dierent periods of mailing, different customer categories and so on are sometimes set up whereby only devices falling into a particular sub-group are to be used for printing during a run on the main group. It will therefore be seen that some of the printing devices may be skipped at the printing station, which is to say that no imprint is to be made therefrom, and this is explained in the aforesaid patent. This aspect of printing device selection is determined by control data carried by printing devices of the aforesaid kind, and such control data specifically take the form of control tabs removably located at predetermined positions along one edge of the printing devices in position to be sensed by the selector as described in the aforesaid patent. Thus, prior to a particular run, the devices or plates in the main group will be set up from the standpoint of tabs located at the particular positions determinative of print or skip positions. In fact, this may be a permanent condition in itself, because the selector can be set for what can be considered a reverse operation wherein the devices tabbed for print will be skipped' and vice versa. This is particularly advantageous in periodic mailings where mailings are alternated among two or more sub-groups at different times and in different runs in the main group of devices.

As explained in the aforesaid patent, ther selector carries sensing pins which are to be lowered into the plane of the device where the control tabs are located, and such sensing takes place at the sensing station just forward of the supply magazine from which the printing devices a-re initially advanced. The sensing pins are carried in a sensing head, and the head moves to the extent that a sensing pin encounters a tab, and the extent of movement of the sensing head in turn is used to position control elements which determine whether or not the platen at the printing station is to be operated to eifect an imprint.

Under the present invention, the ink roll is to be maintained stationary in its start position in the event that a printing device is sensed as one from which a print is not to be made, and such control over movement of the ink roll constitutes another object of the invention. Additionally, there are times when devices in succession one after another are to be skipped through the machine without being printed. This is a pedal control, and is distinct from normal sensing of a skip plate during socalled consecutive operation of the machine. There are also times when the plate feed is to be inoperative for a short period while the machine is being idled" for plate changes. As will be explained hereinafter, the ink roll in the present instance has ink relayed thereto by means including a fountain roller that is to be normally stepped around in an ink pan. Therefore, in order to prevent an excessive build-up of ink in the ink train at a time when the printing device feed means is inoperative while the machine is idling or when the skip pedal is being used, control means are afforded under the present invention to disrupt stepping of the fountain roller at such times, and this constitutes another object of the present invention. In this connection it should be pointed out that while there is also ink build-up when the ink unit in the present instance is disabled due to a skip device being located at the inking station in a normal run and as sensed by the selector, such build-up is purposeful because there will be attendant build-up of ink in the aforementioned form printer unit, and hence the next form to be printed with a heading from a printing device will be uniformly dark, that is, the printed form will be as dark as the heading printed thereon by the related printing device.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show preferred embodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and what is now considered to be the best mode contemplated for applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a sectional view of the ink roll mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View through the ink roll, its carriage and its operating structure;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detail plan view of a portion of the clutch and gear drive mechanism employed in the present instance;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of certain parts of the operating gear mechanism;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the drive structure for operating the ink roll;

FIG. 7 is a top plan View of parts shown in FIG. 6 but on a somewhat reduced scale;

FIG. 8 is an end elevation of the parts shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an elevation of parts shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary detail elevation showing certain operating means for driving the fountain roller and other parts;

FIG. 11 is a schematic wiring diagram showing the manner in which the one-revolution clutch is to be controlled;

FIGS. 11A and 11B respectively show different settings of switch SSW in comparison to FIG. l1; and

FIG. 12 is an elevational view showing the control means for maintaining the drive to the fountain roller ineffective.

The printing machine disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,359,851 is one wherein individual printing devices, there identified as D and bearing embossed type characters, are fed one by one from a supply magazine M at a supply station along a guideway to a selector station where control data on the devices are sensed to determine if a particular device is to be used for printing. Thereafter, the devices are moved step-wise through the guideway and eventually to the printing station in the machine where each device, selected for printing, is effective through an inked ribbon to print a related sheet. Under the present invention, each device selected for printing,

as in a machine of the foregoing kind, is inked by an ink roll, thereby eliminating the need for the aforesaid ribbon and resulting in imprints that are free from ribbon appearances.

Referring to FIGS. l and 11, a printing device D of the kind disclosed in the above patent is illustrated as being disposed on an anvil 30 in position to be inked, and this anvil is in the aforesaid guideway just forwardly of the sensing or selector station of the machine where the devices D have their control indicia such as tabs CT, FIG. 11, sensed by sensing pins SP in a sensing head SH as explained in the aforesaid patent to determine if a device is to be printed from or not and whether more than one print is to be made from a particular device. Thus, FIG. 1 in the present instance corresponds in location to FIG. 31 of the above identified patent, and this location is between the supply station and the printing station. The printing device D on the anvil 30 has its embossed type characters TC disposed upwardly, and the printing faces of these type characters will be in the plane P1 in which an ink roller 32 is to travel from right to left as viewed in FIG. 1, the roller 32 eventually reaching the dashed line position at the left hand side of the anvil 30. When so traveling from right to left, the ink roller 32 is effective to roll ink on to the printing faces of the embossed type characters on the device D, and after this has been accomplished the inking roller 32 is then raised to be free of contact of any part of the device D and is returned to its initial position with the nadir point thereon moving in the elevated plane P2 shown in FIG. 1.

The anvil 39 is disposed in the guideway of a printing machine of the character disclosed in the aforesaid patent as by being bolted to the plates 33 and 34 (parts 151 and 152 in the aforesaid patent) which are part of the rail structure in the aforesaid machine and which extends from the supply magazine in which the devices as D are stacked for sequential feeding one by one therefrom and eventually to the printing position. Thus, it will be noted that the printing device D in FIG. 1 hereof is formed with spacing flanges SF at the sides thereof and these spacing flanges are disposed in spaces inwardly of the guide rails GR in such a manner as to prevent displacement of the printing device from the guideway along which it is to move to and from the anvil 30. It will be appreciated that feed bars and associated feed fingers, as described in the aforesaid patent, are effective to advance the devices as D in a step-wise fashion through the machine, which is to say that each device moving through the machine periodically comes to rest at a predetermined location, and a device as D which is to be inked in accordance with the present invention will be so inked at a time when it is in a stationary state on the anvil 30.

The inking mechanism in the present instance is ernbodied in a unit IU that can be used as a separate attachment for a machine of the kind disclosed in the aforesaid patent, in which event the ribbon inking mechanism embodied therein will be dispensed with. TO this end, the present inking unit includes an ink roll platen housing 37 and an ink train housing 3S, FIG. l, constructed in part from heavy cast members 40 and 41, FIG. 3, which constitute the main support plates for the various operating parts to be described hereinafter. Thus, each such housing includes sturdy end and side walls connected together as a unitary structure to be secured in place to the guideway plates 33 and 34 of the associated printing machine as shown in FIG. 1 and top cover plates CP1 and CP2 are afforded for the respective housings 37 and 38. An open-topped ink reservoir 45, FIG. 3, is supported between the main frame plates 40 and 41 at one end of the ink train housing 38. A metalsurfaced fountain roller 46 is disposed for rotation within the ink pan, and this roller is to be stepped or indexed within the ink pan in a manner to be described hereinafter. Predetermined amounts of ink are accurately metered on to the fountain roller 46 by a wiper blade 47, FIG. l, which is clamped by Suitable screws to the inwardly and downwardly sloped top surface of the end wall i8 of the ink pan.

The unclarnped or free end of the blade 47, which is disposed toward the fountain roller 46, is to be positioned with accuracy relative to the surface of the fountain roller 16, and to this end manually settable adjusting screws 5i) are threaded in the end wa-ll 43 of the ink pan and have tapered inner ends :'illT bearing on the underside of the plate d'7 adjacent the free inwardly disposed end thereof. The screws 5% have knurled thumb heads 56K, FIGS. l and 8, and it will be recognized that by properly positioning the screws Sil by turning the same in or out as the case may be the thickness of the film of ink on the fountain roller i5 can be evenly distributed on the fountain roller and accurately controlled.

lnk from the fountain roller 46 is to be relayed to the ink roll 32 by a rubber-surfaced ductor roller 55 and a plurality of intermediate rollers. rl'hus, the ductor roller 55 is disposed at the side of the fountain roller i6 opposite the plate d'7, and the ductor roller 55 is journalled in the usual fashion between the arms of a ductor roller yoke 56, Fl-G. l. The bight portion 56B, FlG. 8, of this yoke is secured to a flat part of a rock shaft 53 which is supported for oscillation between the main frame plates of the ink unit lU.

An operating arm 6d is nrted on the rock shaft 5S at one end thereof and adjacent the inner face of the frame plate 43; as will be apparent from FiG. l. One end of the operating arm o@ has a spring el fastened thereto and the opposite end of this spring is anchored on a pin aiilxed to the frame of the unit, in such a manner as to cause the operating arm ed normally to bias the doctor roller 65' into contact with a rubber-surfaced distributing roller 63.

The end of the arm opposite the spring-biased end has a cam follower 65 journalled thereto, and this follower is associated with a cam 66 carried on a cam shaft 67. The manner in which the cam shaft 67 is turned will be described hereinafter, but it may here be mentioned that when the high part of the cam 65 rotates past the cam follower 65 the latter is urged by the cam d6 to roel; the operating arm oil clockwise as viewed in PlG. l thereby shifting the ductor roller out of contact with the distributing roller 63 and into contact with the fountain roller d6. On the other hand, when the dwell or low part of the cam da is presented to the follower' 65, the spring 6l takes over and the doctor roller is shifted counter-clockwise as Viewed in FiG. l to engage the transfer roller 63 to pass ink thereto.

The roller 53 is one of a series of three engaged rollers inclusive of a constantly rotated metal-surfaced oscillating roller 63 and a second rubber-surfaced transfer roller 69. he relationship is such that the oscillating roller 63 spaces the rollers 63 and 69' while respectively engaging these two rollers to drive the same, and additionally it will be noted that the transfer roller 69 is located to be contacted by the inking roller 32 when the latter is disposed at its starting position illustrated in FlG. l.

rIhe two rubber-surfaced rollers 63 and 69 are each provided with journal pins or axles, these being associated with a related pair of bearing blocks as ''.i, PEG. 3, in each instance and which in turn are mounted in vertically disposed guide slots formed in the side frame plates of the inl; unit. These bearing blocks are respectively engaged at their top sides by pressure regulating coil springs as 73, FIG. l, and the springs 73 have the upper ends engaged by resilient retainer plates '75. Each such retainer plate is formed at one end with an eye, FlG. 3, enabling the associated retainer plate to be anchored by a screw 76 which is in turn threadedly mounted in place on the top side portion of the related inking unit side plate. The opposite ends of the retainers 75 are formed with openings through which project vertically disposed threaded studs. These studs have their lower ends, FIG. 1, threaded into the bearing blocks 7l., and nuts 75N,

6 FlG. 3, are mounted on the upper ends of these studs eriabling the tension in the springs 73 to be individually regulated to thereby determine the extent of pressure contact of the rollers 63 and o9 with the roller 68.

lt was mentioned that the fountain roller 46 is indexed or stepped, the ductor roller 55 is to be shifted, and the oscillator roller 68 is to be positively driven. In addition to these individual drive considerations, it will also be recalled that the ink roll 32 is to be driven across a printing device in contact with the type faces thereon, and is to be moved into different planes. These various drives and motions all emanate in the first instance from a master clutch 9i), FlG. 4, which, if desired, can be maintained continuously in a disengaged position by a manually operable clutch disengaging arm 92, FlGS. 3, 8 and 9. This clutch, and the one-revolution clutch to be described hereinafter, are of a known kind, being in the nature of the clutches disclosed in the above-identified patent. Thus, each clutch has a driving dog (not shown) affixed to the driving or drive transmitting part of the clutch (which is the disc part 96D of the clutch 90) and this dog releasably engages the constantly driven or drive-input element of the clutch (element WE, FIG. 4 of clutch 9(9) such that by disengaging the dog from the driven element the clutch is ineffective to transmit a drive.

rfhe clutch disengaging arm 92 is mounted for pivotal movement on a stud 94, FlG. 3, which in turn is supported by a Vertical arm 95, FIG. 8, which is part of an auxiliary mounting bracket 96. The mounting bracket 96 in turn, as shown in FlG. 8, is bolted in an outboard fashion to the inking unit frame plate 4l. This mounting bracket, as will lbe apparent from the description to follow, also serves as a support for gears and control elements that are associated with the master clutch.

The master clutch is supported inboard of the bracket arm 95 as shown in FlG. 8, and a constant drive is imparted to the input part WE, FlG. 4, of this clutch by means including a chain-driven sprocket wil which in turn is constantly driven from a source of constant drive embodied in the printing machine in which the present inking unit is mounted, and advantageously the chain which drives the sprocket ld@ is suitably tensioned by an idler sprocket 16d, FiG. 3, carried by an arm 103 which is pivoted on the stud 94.

lf, under appropriate circumstances, it is desired to use the ribbon inking mechanism embodied in the aforesaid machine, rather than the ink roll unit of the present invention, then it is merely n cessary to disable clutch 9i? in which event all drives to the operating parts of the present unit are interrupted.

The transmitted drive from clutch element 99E is used to drive a one-revolution clutch lili?, PEG. 4, supported inboard of clutch $9 and the purpose of which will be described hereinafter. ln other words, the clutch 1%5 isV to be automatically controlled for one-revolution or cycle to institute accurately timed travel of the ink roll 32, but this clutch is also to be controlled depending on whether or not a particular printing device on the anvil Si) is to be inked. Thus, a printing device on the anvil Sil may be one that is to have no print made therefrom in which event the ink roll 32 is not to ybe driven, and under this circumstance clutch ll will be held disenL gaged. On the other hand, if the clutch ldd is permitted to engage, the elect of this is to impart rotation to a gear lil?, FlG. 4, which is coupled to the output element or driven member of the clutch NS, and this gear in turn drives a gear llS meshed therewith to impart vertical shifting movement to an inking platen in a manner to be described.

The driven element E of the master clutch gli drives a transmitting gear llt?, and this gear, as shown in FIG. 4, is meshed with a gear lll which is Xed to a shaft M2 which is supported in a bearing on the frame plate di to drive the oscillator roller, and hence it will be seen that the oscillator roller shaft 112 will be driven constantly so long as the master clutch 90 is engaged. The sleeve which carries the gear 110 has a spur gear 113 fixed to rota-te therewith, and this gear is meshed with a gear 115 which in turn is supported for rotation on cam shaft 67 immediately adjacent the outside face of the inking unit frame plate 41 as shown in FIG. 3. The gears as 107 and which are in the clutch train are supported by a main gear shaft MS, FIG. 4, and the ends of this shaft are supported by the frame plate 41 and the bracket ear 95.

Referring to FIG. 10, the gear 115 is provided on its outside face with an eccentrically disposed pin 118 which will rotate with the gear 115. The eccentric 118 is embraced by the arms of a bifurcated ratchet control member 120, and a ratchet 125, which is affixed to the operating shaft of the fountain roller, is disposed immediately outwardly of member 120. Thus, member 120 is guided between gear 115 and ratchet 125.

A ratchet drive pawl 127 is pivotally mounted at the upper end of the control member 120 with the drive tooth 120D thereof spring -biased to index the ratchet 125 counter-clockwise as viewed in FIG. 10. Thus, a spring 128, FIG. 3, is effective between member 120 and its pawl 127 to hold the drive tooth of the pawl against the teeth of ratchet 125.

As gear 115 rotates, the eccentric 118 causes the control member 120 to move upwardly as viewed in FIG. 10, and pawl 127 skips freely on the ratchet 125, but as the eccentric 118 continues to rotate with its associated gear, the control arm or link 120 is eventually lowered causing the pawl 127 to step the ratchet 125 one step the desired amount thereby indexing the fountain roller in the ink pan. Gear 115, being on cam shaft 67, also imparts the necessary rotation to cam 66 which controls the rocking of the ductor roller yoke. It will therefore be seen that the fountain roller and the ductor roller will be driven so long as the master clutch 90 is engaged, but it may be that the fountain roller will be disabled under circumstances to be explained to prevent build-up of ink in the ink train.

The ink roll 32 which is to transfer ink to the faces of the type characters on the printing device D is arranged for travel in different planes P1 and P2 mentioned above. These planes can be termed respectively the effective and ineffective planes, inasmuch as when the roll is traveling to the left in plane P1 as viewed in FIG. 1 the nadir point of the ink roll is in the plane of the faces of type characters on the device PD and hence will cause inking thereof. On the other hand, when the ink roll 32 is in the elevated plane P2 during its return stroke, it is elevated free of the type faces and hence is ineffective. It will thus be seen that by so having the ink roll traveling in an elevated plane on its return stroke, such essentially speeds up operation of the machine since the printing device D that was inked can be instantly advanced from the anvil 30 to the next successive station in the machine at a time when the ink roll 32 is being returned to its start position, and the next printing device that is to be inked can be advanced from the supply magazine in the machine on to the anvil 30 without interference from the roll 32. If a device is not to have its type characters inked, then the ink roll 32 remains stationary as will be explained. Of course it will be realized that the ink roller 32 is held in its start position sufficiently long to enable a proper amount of ink to be relayed thereto directly from the transfer roller 69.

The ink roll 32 is supported for free rotation on roller bearing units RB, FIG. 2. The inner bearing race in each instance is associated with one end of an axle 130, and the outer race in each instance is associated with a collar 131 which is press-fitted into the open end of a sleeve 133 on which the material affording the body of the ink roll is affixed.

The ink roll 32 as shown in FIG. 1, is disposed beneath a platen or back-up plate 15@ serving as the back-up support for the ink roll. In order to assure free running of the ink roll, the latter is mounted removably in a carriage which in turn is provided with rollers which run in an anti-friction fashion on the plate 159. Thus, and as shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 9, a pair of generally triangular ink roll carriage plates 153 are disposed on opposite sides of the plate and depend relative thereto as best shown in FIG. 2. As will be apparent from FIG. 2, vertical marginal extents of the carriage plates 153 are notched, and the reduced diameter ends of the axle 130 are disposed therein as especially shown in FIG. 2 so as to have their ends extended slightly outward of the outer sides of the carriage plates 153 and are clamped in place by a clamp yoke 155, FIG. 9. This clamp has a pair of horizontally disposed arms 156 having in effect bentdown right angled end portions that are connected by a horizontal bight portion 157. The clamp yoke is of such size as to have the bight 157 thereof span the space which separates the carriage plates 153, and the arms 156 of the clamp yoke are disposed on the outer sides of the carriage plates 153.

The clamp turns on a pin 158 which is supported by and disposed between the rear portions of carriage plates 153. The ends of this pin pass through openings in the arms 156 of the clamp adjacent the point where these are bent down as aforesaid, and a fnger-type spring element 160, FIG. l, is effective to normally urge the clamp 155 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 9. Each clamp arm 156 is notched at 156N, FIG. 9, to embrace the ends of the axle pins that are extended outwardly of the carriage platea 153 thereby releasably maintaining the ink roller 32 in its carriage.

To impart free running characteristics of the ink roll carriage on the plate 15G, means are afforded including bottom rollers 163 and 164, FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, which are arranged as fore and aft pairs relative to the axle 130 of the roller 32. The rollers 163 and 164 are inboard of the plates 153 and are journalled on pins that are supported by the carriage plates 153. As shown in FIG. 2, the rollers 163 and 164 are disposed in position to engage the underside of the plate 159.

Referring to FIG. 6, it will be noted that each carriage plate is formed with an upstand-ing ear 153B which extends above the plate 1571]. These ears, as will be explained below, afford connections for a pair of carriage lrive arms which, when actuated, impart reciprocal motron to the carriage for the ink roll, but this does not occur until the ink roll is lowered to its effective plane. The ears 153B additionally constitute part of a pivotal support for a pair of forwardly extended roller arms 166 which are connected pivotally to the ears 153B by pins 167,. and these same pins serve to connect the aforesaid carriage drive arm to the ears 153B as will be apparent from the description to follow. Each roller arm 166 supports a free-running roller 169 disposed to travel in a track groove 15JG in the plate 159, FIGS. 2 and 6, and these grooves with the rollers 169 running therein will'assure accurate guided movement of the ink roll carnage during reciprocation of the latter. The guide rollers 169 are positively urged into the grooves 150G by springs 170, FIG. 6, which have ends respectively anchored to pins on the roller arms 166 and the carriage plates 153. o

The plate 154), FIG. l, is suspended below a platen head or adjusting frame 180, FIG. l, which is arranged for vertical movement within the ink roll platen housing 37. In so suspending the platen, resort is had to adjusting studs 181 that are threadedly mounted at their upper ends in the head and which at their lower ends are disposed loosely in receiving sockets in the top side of the plate 150. The means for so suspending the plate 150 additionally includes studs 133 which have fillet heads at their lower ends tted in complemental sockets in the underside of the plate 150. The studs 183 at their upper ends are extended through openings in the adjusting head 1S@ and have tensioning coil springs 135 mounted over the extensions thereof, these springs being suitably tensioned to a predetermined degree by washers or the like anchored to the upper ends of the studs i313. lt will be seen that by turning the threaded studs itil, the plate E59 can be accurately adjusted to produce an accurate predetermined plane of travel for the ink roll 32 relative to the device D having the type characters to be inked. As shown in FIG. 2, the openings in the head ILS@ which receive the upper ends of the studs lill are open to enable adjustments to be made to these studs by a screw driver.

The platen adjusting frame or head 1S@ is arranged for up and down motion to res, ectivelv dispose the ink roller 32 in the ineffective and eiiective plane P2 and P1. At its starting position, the ink roll 32 is in the ineffective plane and in contact with the transfer roller 69 to receive ink therefrom. his is the condition prevailing at the time a printing device D is being fed into the anvil 30 by the reciprocating feed means which move such deices as D through the guideway in the machine where the anvil 36 is located. When the device as D is at rest on thel anvil 3d, the ink roll .l2 is to be lowered into plane Pi and then driven to the left as viewed in PEG. l then raised and returned. in accomplishing this, a cam operated mechanism is resorted to including rockable cam arms which are pivotally pinned to the platen adiusting frame or head member 13d, and these arms are provided with cam edges which engage stationary pins whereby the frame member i3@ is in effect supported thereby and whereby upon operating the cam arms the ink roll 32 will be disposed in one or the other of the planes Pl and P2.

Thus, and referring to Fl'GS. 1, 6 and 7 in particular, the frame or head lill? is slottedl and fined horizontal pins and Zilli are disposed within these slots and are passed freely through the lower ends of a related pair of operating arms 204 and 265 to enable the arms to swing on horizontal axes. These operating arms extend upwardly within the housing 37 as shown in FlG. 1, and the upper ends thereof are formed with cam slots CSi and CS2 which provide corresponding cam edges. Rollertype pins 296 and 267 are disposed neatly within the cam slots CS1 and CS2, and as shown for the pin 237, EPG. 3, these pins are respectively anchored to the inside faces of the main frame plate dfi. Thus, the pins 256 and 26? are .disposed on spaced horizontal axes that are fixed in nature.

The configuration of the cam slots and CS2 is such that the lower edge of each has a low part L and a high part H, FIG. 1, considered from an operation standpoint. With the ink roller in its start position, the cam slots present their low parts to the pins 2635 and 267, but when the arms 2h43 and 295 are rocked counter-clockwise as view-ed in FIG. 1, the cam slots in effect present their high parte to the pins 2% and N37 which are explained are lined. As a consequence, the frame ld and its associated plate 15) are forced downwardly by the extent that separates the planes Pl and P2, and this disposes the ink roll 32 in its effective inking plane Pl.

Such rocking motion is imparted to the arms 24M and Zii by operating means including link structure which is repeatedly reciprocated by a cam 215, FlG. 6, which is secured to the shaft which carries the gear lite. Gear 1%, it will be recalled, is driven through the one-revolu tion clutch lll, and hence the ink roll carriage is to be lowered only when there is a device D on the anvil Sii that is to be inked, as will be shown.

Working backward from the arms d4 and 265 to the cam 215, it will be noted in PIG. 1 that the arms 2nd and S are ,ioined by e. horizontal link EN having ends pivotally connected to respective pins on the arms Ztl/.1 and 2%. Link 2F17 thus assures unison action by arms 23d and 2G55. A second relatively short drive link 21rd,

Vul

FIG. 1, is connected to the pin which interconnects link 2l? and arm 2de', and the opposite end of this link 218 is in turn pivotally pinned to a first operating arm 219 which is part of a crank mechanism. rIhus, arm 2l@ is affixed to and depends below a horizontally disposed rock shaft 22d which is supported in the platen housing above and at right angles to the links 2l7 and 21S. The rock shaft 22@ has a second depending arm 221 secured thereto as shown in FlG. 7, and a relatively long pin 222 is aflixed to the lower end of this arm and extends outwardly of and through a slot in the side wall SW, FIG. 7.

The pin 222 thus represents a drive pin for operating the rock shaft 22d, and it will be realized from the foregoing that when the rock shaft 22d is rocked its full extent, this produces concurrent full rocking of the arms 274 and 265 thus resulting in the ink roll 32 being disposed in its effective plane P11.

Pin 222 is driven by adjustable link means including a link 225, FiG. 9, which is pivotally connected to the outer end of pin 222 and extends rearward in the direction of the ink train unit at the outside of the frame plate il as viewed in FIG. 9. The end of link 225 opposite the drive pin 222 is connected adjustably to another link 226 through a slot and lock nut connection as will be apparent from FIG. 9, and the opposite end of link 226 is pivotally connected to the upper end of an operating arm 227 which carries a cam foll-ower 230 at its lower end. Thus, it is important that the guide rollers 2&6 and 267 abut the extreme left hand ends of the cam slots CS1 and CS2 when the ink roll is up and conversely when the ink roll is down. This can be assured by adjusting links 225 and 226 with respect to the operating cam 2li Thus, when the ink roll is lowered to its effective plane it should just touch the embossed characters of a plate with the lobe of cam ZLS, FIG. 6, presented to the follower 23d, and the links 225" and 226 should be set to assure that the ink roller is so positioned and with the rollers 2do and 2tl7 tight against the right hand ends, FIG. 6, of the slots CSi and CS2 under such circumstances.

The arm 227 is pivotally mounted at 232i, FlG. 6, for rocking movement, and the follower 23@ is maintained in contact with its cam 25 by a spring 2368 which is connected at one end to link 226 and which is anchored at its other end to a fixed pin 236i. When the lobe or high part of cam 215 is presented to the follower 23d, arm 227 is rocked counter-clockwise as viewed in FiG. 6 against the return action of spring 2363 and this results in the ink roll being lowered into its effective inking plane.

It was mentioned above that the carriage for the ink roll 32 is driven by a pair of drive arms. These arms are identied at 259 and in FEGS. 2 and 7, and the lower end of each such arm is pivotally connected to the pins 1l67 at either side of the ink roll carriage. The larms 25@ and ZSlA extend upwardly from the ink roll and at an angle, and the upper ends thereof are journalled on a connecting pin 251, FIGS. 6 and 7. The ends of the connecting pin 25l are supported by a yoke member 252, FIG. l, which includes a horizontal cross head 255 and side arms 256 and 255A, FIG. 7, integral therewith. The arms 256 and 256A have ends 257, FIG. 6, extending rearwardly beyond the cross head 255, and these end extensions are formed with apertures which embrace pins 253 that are stably supported so as to have ixefl axes at opposite sides ot the housing 37 as shown in FIG. 1.

By rocking yoke 252 counter-clockwise as viewed in FlGS. 1 and 6, motion will be transmitted to the ink roll carriage, and the ink roll will be caused to travel in a forward stroke from right to left as viewed in these ligures. When roller 32 is under pin 251, FIG. 6, yoke 2f' 2 rocks clockwise as the roller 32 completes its inking stroke, and conversely during return. It will be appreciated that the parts are so arranged that such right to left forward movement of the ink roll occurs just after the same has been moved or lowered into its effective plane as an incident to the cam 2i5 presenting its high part to :norvege the follower 230. Such motion of the yoke 252, and also rearward Yor return motion incidental to returning the ink roll to its starting position, is induced by a horizontal link 260 pivotally connected at 261 to the drive arm 250A intermediate the length thereof as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The opposite end of link 26) is pivotally connected to the upper end of a vertically disposed intermediate link 262 which has the lower end thereof pinned to a rock shaft 263. The rock shaft 263 extends outward of the frame plate 41, and the outer end thereof is connected to the lower end of a crank arm 265, FIG. 6. The upper end of the arm 265 is pivotally connected to a transmitting link 266 which extends in the direction of the gear 108, and the end of link 266 opposite the rock shaft drive arm 265 is pivotally connected to a drive pin 270, FIGS. 6, 8 and 9, which is located eccentrically on gear 108.

Thus, it will be seen that so long as gear 108 is driven in each cycle in which the one-revolution clutch 165 is engaged, the ink roll will rst be lowered from its raised start position illustrated in FIG. l, will then be reciprocated to the left as viewed in FIG. l in rolling contact with the faces of the type characters borne by the printing device D, and will eventually clear the device D as shown by the dotted line left-hand position of the ink roll 32 in FIG. 1, whereafter the inked device D can then be fed out of the inking station to the next station in the machine, eventually arriving at the printing station where an imprint will be made from its inked type characters. In the same cycle in which it was driven to the left as viewed in FIG. 1, the ink roll is raised to its ineffective plane as an incident of continued rotation of the cam 21S, and then is moved in a return direction back to its start position as an incident to continued rotation of the eccentric drive pin 276 carried by gear 108.

It will be recalled that gear S, which drives the cam 215 for raising and lowering the ink roll and which carries the eccentric pin 270 for driving the ink roll, is driven through the one-revolution clutch 165. In this manner, gear 103 is eifective to time operation of the cam means as CS1 and CS2, which control raising and lowering of the support and guide 159 for the ink roll carriage, synchronously to the requirements of the forward and reverse strokes of the ink roll and its carriage. In other words, cam 215 and the drive pin 270 are synchronized and cycled accordingly as the one-revolution clutch is cycled. Accordingly, the one-revolution clutch 185 is used as a control for determining whether or not the ink roll is to be eective to ink a printing device at the inking station, and the ink roll is to be ineffective in the event that a printing device at the inking station is one that is ultimately to have no imprint taken therefrom. Therefore, clutch 135 is to be permitted to engage if there is a device at the inking station which is to be inked, and under the present invention such control over the one-revolution clutch 165 is to occur as an incident to the sensing of the printing devices.

In the present instance, clutch 165 is normally held disengaged by a control arm 290, FIGS. 3 and 9. This arm is connected to the armature of the solenoid SOL, FIGS. 9 ,and 1l, and normally the arm 290 is positioned, at times when the solenoid is de-energized, to maintain clutch 105 in a clutch disengaged position. Thus, the clutch 105 is ineffective to transmit a drive to gears 107 and 16S until the solenoid SOL is energized.

Referring to FIG. l1, the control circuit for the solenoid SOL is schematically illustrated. This circuit includes a timing switch TSW which is normally open and which is controlled by a corresponding timing cam TC in the machine. Switch TSW is interposed in the control circuit to produce eective timing of the possible energizing condition for the solenoid SOL with respect to me arrival of a printing device at the station where the device is to be sensed and inked. In this connection, it should be pointed out that the inking station is immediately adjacent the sensing station of the machine whereat such control tabs CT, FIG. 11, as may be present on the device D are sensed by sensing pins SP, FIG. 11, that are mounted in the sensing head SH, this sensing head being identified as the part 500 in the aboveidentified patent.

The ultimate result of sensing is that the sensing head SH will be lowered during the course of a sensing operation to the extent determined by the length of a sensing pin and its encountering (or not) a control tab on the printing device, and resultantly the shaft 608, FIG. 11, will accordingly be rotated at a predetermined amount, noting that this shaft is identied by like reference character in the above-identied patent. It should be pointed out that the connections illustrated in FIG. 1l as inducing rotary motion of the shaft 608, depending upon the extent of downward movement of the sensing head SH, are not identical to that described in the above patent, but rather have been reduced merely to essential connections necessary for a proper understanding of the manner in which the solenoid SOL can be energized. Moreover, many of the restoring and bias elements have been omitted in FIG. 1l since these are not necessary to an understanding of the setting of the control switch CSW to be described below.

Thus, the control circuit for the solenoid SOL is illustrated in FIG. 1l as further including a control switch CSW having a contact 0 connected to the wire W0 leading from the timing switch TSW. The control switch CSW additionally includes a rotary element RW having a wiper CC which is engageable with one or another of a plurality of individual spaced contacts 1 to 6 inclusive. The rotary clement RW is to be advanced counter-clockwise as viewed in FIG. l1 to positions cngageable with only one of the contacts 1 to 6 inclusive, and the element RW also includes a segment contact RSG which is always in engagement with contact 0 irrespective of the position of wiper CC to extend circuit therefrom to wire Wt). It will be noted that there is a bare area X between contacts 3 and 4 whereat the wiper CC can also be positioned.

The element RW is set by a segmental member SG having a plurality of teeth ST corresponding to the aforementioned settable positions of the wiper Contact CC, and this will be etermincd by the extent to which the tooth T of a stop member SM is positioned, and the position of the stop member SM is determined by the eX- tent to which the shaft 638 is rocked in accordance with sensing head movement.

inasmuch as a machine of the kind under consideration is adapted to operate with sensing pins SP of various different lengths and for different purposes as disclosed in Patent No. 2,359,851, the contacts 1 to 6 are related to such variable pin uses. Thus, the restored or idle condition of the rotary element RW is one wherein the wiper contact CC is on contact 1, and if the sensing pin SP, FIG. ll, is of the so-called extra-long size and if a control tab CT is allocated thereto, then the wiper CC will engage contact 2 as an incident to sensing. If a so-called bell pin is used for bell operation as explained in the above patent, contact 4 will be the one engaged by the wiper element CC during sensing; if a so-called regular size sensing pin is used, then it will be contact 5; and if the set-up is one wherein no pin is to be used, then contact 6 will be engaged.

This leaves for consideration contact 3, and the blank or x position between contacts 3 and 4. These two possible positions of the contact CC are respectively allocated to the use of reverse operation pins respectively to print from a device D otherwise tabbed as a skip plate or device, and to skip, that is, no-print a device normally tabbed for a print operation. Thus, while normal conditions are either (1) a device that is envases tabbed is to be printed from (printtab) or (2) a device that is tabbed is to ybe skipped (skip-tab), it is advantageous to set the machine for the reverse of either of these.

Further with regard to the control system illustrated in FIG. ll, the contacts embodied in the control switch CSW are related, as shown, to a selector switch SSW having a plurality or" settable contacts carried by flexible blades which are adapted to be set in accordance with the position of a manually settable control shaft CL. The condition shown in FIG. ll is that wherein the iever or shaft CL has been set for so-called skip-tab operation wherein those plates tabbed to bear a tab as CT, FIG. 1l, in the proper position are to be passed through the machine without prints being made therefrom, and it is assumed, as in the description to follow, that a regular size sensing pin is to be used (contact of switch CSW). Accordingly, if a device D bears a tab CT, indicative of a skip condition, the tensing of this tab by a regular pin will ultimately result in the wiper element CC being set on contact 5. This contact is connected to a wire Wit in turn connected to a blade Bl of switch SSW having a contact C1 thereon, but in View of the skip-tab setting of shaft CL, the contact Clt is not in engagement with a related contact, and hence the solenoid SOL will not be energized. Consequently, the skip device as D so sensed will not be inked at the inking station by the ink roller 32. On the other hand, under this condition, a device D that is not tabbed is one that is to be printed, and during sensing the rotary element RW will be moved the maximum extent counter-clockwise as viewed in FIG. ll so as to have the wiper CC thereof in engagement with contact 6. Contact 6 is connected by a wire W2 to a blade B2 of the switch SSW which carries a contact C2 normally engaged with an opposed contact C3 carried by a related blade B3, and the blade B3 is connected to a wire W3 which completes circuit to the solenoid SOL when the switches SW and TSW are closed. Accordingly, the plate thus sensed as bearing no tab will be inked, and hence will be in condition to effect a print at the printing station.

Thel setting of switch SSW for the so-called print-tab condition is illustrated in FIG. 11A. The selector shaft CL has been moved to the left in comparison to FIG. ll, and this disengages contacts CZ and C3 of switch SSW and produces engagement of contacts C and C4. Contact C4, it will be noted, is carried by a blade B4 which is connected to wire W3. Hence (and bearing in mind that under this print-tab setting, the presence of a tab as CT properly located calls for a print operation and hence inking of the related device D) positioning of the wiper CC on contact 5 as a direct consequence of sensing such a tab CT will produce energization of the solenoid SOL if the switches SW and TSW are closed. Conversely, the absence of a tab on a device D under the circumstance of the FIG. 11A setting of the switch SSW, calls for the corresponding device to be skipped through the machine without printing, and hence without engagement thereof by the inl; roller 32. It will be evident that under this situation when the wiper CC is on contact 6 (no tab on the printing device) circuit will not be completed to the solenoid SOL, because circuit between wire W2 and wire W3 is broken at the space between contacts C2 and C3 maintained by the print tab setting of the selector shaft CL.

Switch CSW can be shunted to enable the solenoid SOL to be energized irrespective to the setting of the contact CC. Thus, switch SSW includes blades B5 and BG and related contacts C5 and Co, the latter being disengaged for skip-tab and print-tab settings of the selector lever or shaft CL. However, by setting shaft CL to the position shown in FIG. 11B, contacts CS and C6 are closed. Blade B5 is connected by wire W5 to wire W3, and blade B5 is connected by wire Wo to the 1d wire connected to switch TSW as wiil be evident in FiG. ll.

As explained in the aforesaid patent and as mentioned above, there are instances where it is desired to manually skip plates rather than by way of normal selector control. There are instances where the machine is to be idled, and this requires that the feed mechanism for advancing the printing devices through the machine be disrupted accordingly. When the printing device feed mechanism is so interrupted, such also results in the drive to the sensing head SH, FIG. ll hereof, being interrupted, and therefore the one-revolution clutch will not engage. In the present instance, however, the fountain roller to and the ductor roller S5 are normally operated in etect in a continuous manner so long as the clutch 99 is engaged, since these two rollers are driven from the gear M3 which takes its drive directly from the master clutch 99. It is therefore important with the present arrangement to prevent any undesirable excessive buiid-up of ink in the ink train, as where manual skip control is used or when the machine is to be momentarily idled, and accordingly a control is afforded under the present invention to interrupt or disable altogether operation of the fountain roller in these instances.

Thus, and referring to PEG. 12, the ratchet drive pawl 127 which is used to step the ratchet that drives the fountain roller can be provided with a pin 127i3 in effect representing a cam follower. A shiftable cam plate 369 is pivotally mounted on an axis coaxial with the axis of ratchet i215', and this cam plate has a cam surface 366C normally disposed to be engaged by the pin 12.71. These parts are so oriented and disposed as to enable the pin 12'7P to ride on the cam surface SGQC with the cam plate Sil@ in the position shown in FIG. l2, and this maintains the pawl 127 out of driving engagement with the ratchet 125. This will be the condition when the printing device feed means is inoperative as will be explained. On the other hand, by pivoting the cam plate 3th) clockwise as view in FiG. l2, the cam surface SitC is disposed out of the path of the pin l27P thereby freeing the pawl E27 to drive the ratchet 125 to step the fountain roller, and this is the condition that will prevail so long as the plate feed means is operative.

It will be recognized that the cam plate 3th) is essentially a throw-out mechanism. Motion is imparted to the plate 36d to release the pawl 127 by means including an actuating arm 365 which is pivotally mounted at SGSP on a long pin extended outward of the side frame plate 41. The throw-out plate Sti@ has a iower extension 3tiiE provided with a pin 3% which slides in a slot SEMES formed in the actuating arm 305.

Thus, arm 3dS is to be turned counterclockwise as viewed in FiG. 12 to position the cam plate St in a pawl releasing position. Such motion of arm 305 is produced by the left-hand end of a Bowden cable Si@ being driven upwardly against arm 305, and this is accomplished by driving the opposite or right-hand end of this cable downward in a manner now to be explained.

Thus, in the above-identified patent there is a lever 270' and an associated rod 339 movable therewith incidental to effecting a repeat print operation, and these parts are shown in FIG. l2 hereof in their up position as determinative of the cable 310 positioning the cam plate 360 in its pawl throw-out position shown in full lines in FIG. l2, this being the state of affairs when the printing device feed mechanism in the machine disclosed in the above patent is inoperative -as where a new supply of printing devices are being inserted in the machine after just completing a run on one set. However, when the printing device feed 4mechanism is eiective in a cycle of the machine, as in consecutive operations or skip pedal operations, parts 270 and 339 are down as Y indicated by the `direction ot the arrows in FIG. 12, and

consequently the left hand end of the cable 3M), PEG. l2,

15 is raised to shift the actuating arm 305 counter-clockwise and this, through the pin and slot drive connection mentioned above, locates the cam surface 300C free of the pawl throw-out pin 1271 rendering the pawl 127 operative to step or index the fountain roller 46 in a normal manner.

Conclusion It will be seen from the foregoing that under the pressent invention a machine of the kind disclosed in Patent No. 2,359,851 can be so modified as to account for inking of the type characters on the printing devices by having resort to an ink roll. By driving of the ink unit of the present invention through a master clutch that can be manually disabled, it is possible to disable the present unit when embodied in the aforesaid machine so that the standard ink ribbon mechanism normally embodied in the machine can be used.

Inasmuch as the usual situation is that some of the printing devices passed through such a machine are not to be used for printing, that is, some are to be skipped at the printing station as disclosed in the aforesaid patent, the present ink unit is placed under control of the sensing -means in the aforesaid machine which determine whether or not a particular printing device, eventually to arrive at the printing station, is to be used for printing. Therefore, an aspect of the present arrangement is that only those printing devices selected for printing by the sensing means are to be inked by the ink roll 32.

It has been explained that the drive -for the fountain roller 46 is so controlled under the present invention as to -be disabled at those times when the machine is to be idled, and this is so in order that there will be no undesirable build-up of ink in the ink train which would result in too heavy an ink coating on the next printing device selected for printing and which is therefore to be inked at the inking station.

It is contemplated that the present inking unit will be used in association with a standard form printer used in operative conjunction with the machine of the aforesaid patent. It will therefore be the sheet printed with a heading under the present invention that will be advanced to the form printer to have the form printed thereon, and of course the primary purpose of the present unit is to enable the appearance of the printed heading to conform to the appearance of the form-printed sheet. Therefore, under such circumstances, ink build-up is not considered undesirable in those instances where there is a printing device at the inking station not to be inked by the ink roll 32, because at this same time there will be similar build-up of ink in the inking unit of the form printer. lThe present arrangement assures that when there is buildup of ink in the form printer inking unit there will be :simultaneously a build-up of ink in the ink train inclusive of the fountain roller 46 resulting in a dark heading to be associated with a dark form ultimately on one and the same sheet.

It will be appreciated that the present construction can Vbe modified to eliminate the master clutch 90 while utilizing the one-revolution clutch 105 for all drives in the `present inking unit and while maintaining the presently disclosed control over the clutch 105 manifest in response of the clutch 105 to the result of the sensing operation effected by the sensing pins SP.

Finally, the ink roll 32 is so driven and mounted as to yenable the same to be accurately conformed to the plane `of the type faces of the type characters borne by the printing devices, and the ink roll support and drive is further such that of the forward and return strokes of the ink roll the latter is in its effective inking disposition during only one of such strokes.

Hence, while we have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the 16 precise details set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

We claim:

l. In a printing machine of the kind described wherein printing devices bearing type characters are advanced one iby one from a supply station to a sensing station whereat certain of the devices are selected for printing by sensing means and are fed from thence to a printing station whereat the selected of the devices are to be used for printing, means to ink the type characters of the selected devices prior to their reaching the printing station and comprising, an ink roll adapted to undergo an inking station for reciprocation in forward and reverse strokes and for rolling contact with the type faces of said type characters, said ink roll being supported in a carriage means to drive the ink roll above said type faces and in contact therewith during a forward stroke of the ink roll, a vertically movable support for the carriage and affording a guide track for guiding the carriage in its reciprocal movement, and means to dispose the ink roll in the plane of said type faces during said forward stroke and to raise the ink roll above said plane during the reverse stroke thereof, the last-named means including cam means 'for effecting vertical up and down movement of said carriage support, and means for timing operation of said cam means synchronously with the forward and reverse strokes of the ink roll.

2. In a printing machine of the kind described wherein printing devices bearing type characters are advanced one by one from a supply station to a sensing station whereat certain of the devices are selected for printing by sensing means and are fed from thence to a printing station whereat selected of the devices are to be used for printing, means to ink the type characters of the selected devices prior to their reaching the printing station and comprising, an ink roll adapted to undergo an inking station for reciprocation in forward and reverse strokes and for rolling contact with the type faces of said type characters, said ink roll being supported in a carriage, means to drive the carriage to reciprocate the ink roll above said type faces and in contact therewith during a forward stroke of the ink roll, a vertically movable support for the carriage and affording a guide track for guiding the carriage in its reciprocal movement, means to disposed the ink roll in the plane of said type faces during said forward stroke and to raise the ink roll above said plane during the reverse stroke thereof, the last-named means including cam means for effecting vertical up and down movement of said carriage support, and means for timing operation of said cam means synchronously with the forward and reverse strokes of the ink roll, and means to disable said drive means when there is a device at the inking station that is not to be used for printing as determined by the sensing means.

3. In a printing machine of the kind described wherein printing devices bearing type characters are advanced one by one from a supply station to a sensing station whereat certain of the devices are selected for printing by sensing means and are fed from thence to a printing station whereat at least one imprint is to be made from each device selected for printing, means to ink the type characters of the devices prior to their reaching the printing station and comprising, an ink roll adapted to undergo an inking station for reciprocation in forward and reverse strokes and for rolling contact with the type faces of said type characters, a fountain roller and a drive means therefor, said ink roll being supported in a carriage, drive means to drive the carriage to reciprocate the ink roll above said type faces and in contact therewith during a forward stroke of the ink roll, a vertically movable support for the carriage and affording a guide track for guiding the carriage in its reciprocal movement, means to dispose the ink roll in the plane of said type faces during said forward stroke and to raise the ink roll above said plane during the reverse stroke thereof, the last-named means including cam means for effecting vertical up and down move-ment of said carriage support, and means for timing operation of said cam means synchronously with the forward and reverse strokes of the ink roll, means to disable the said carriage drive means when there is a device at the inking station not to be used for printing as determined by said sensing means, and means to disable the fountain roller drive means.

4. In a printing machine of the kind described wherein printing devices bearing type characters are advanced one by one from a supply station to a printing station whereat selected of the devices are to be used for printing, and wherein the devices carry control indicia determinative of whether or not prints are to be made therefrom, means to sense said control indicia, means to ink the type characters of the devices to be used for printing prior to their reaching the printing station and comprising, an ink roll arranged at an inking station for reciprocation in forward and reverse strokes and for rolling contact with the type faces of said type characters, means to drive the ink roll across said type faces in contact therewith during a forward stroke of the ink roll, cam means to dispose the ink roll in the plane of said type faces during said forward stroke and to raise the ink roll above said plane during the reverse stroke thereof, timing means for synchronizing the operation of said cam means to comply with the forward and reverse stroke requirements of the ink roll, and means for controlling inking operations in accordanc with the sensing of said control indicia including means for interrupting said ink roll drive when said sensing means determine that a device is not to be used for printing.

5. ln a printing machine of the kind described wherein printing devices bearing type characters are advanced one by one from a supply station to a sensing station whereat certain of the devices are selected for printing by sensing means and are fed from thence to a printing station whereat Selected or" the devices are to be used for printing, means to ink the type characters of the selected devices prior to their reaching the printing station and comprising, an ink roll arranged at an inking station for reciprocation in forward and reverse strc-kes and roiiing contact with the type faces of said type characters, means to drive the ink roll across said type faces in contact therewith during a forward stroke of the ink roll, ink roiiers in an ink train and including at least one driven roller, means to dispose the ink roll in the plane of said type faces during said forward stroke and to raise the ink roil above said piane during the reverse stroke thereof, said drive means for the ink roll including a one-revolution clutch, control means interposed between said sensing means said one-revolution clutch for disabling said clutch in the event the sensing means determine that a particular printing evice is not to be used for printing, a master clutch for driving said one-revolution clutch and said driven roller, and manual means for disabling said master clutch.

6. ln a printing machine of the described wherein printing devices bearing type characters are advanced one by one from a supply station to a printing station whereat selected of the devices are to be used for printing, means to ink the type characters of the selected devices prior to their reaching the printing station and comprising, an ink roll supported rotatably by a carriage at an inking station for reciprocation in forward and reverse strokes and for rolling contact with the type faces of said type characters, drive means for said carriage to move the ink roll across said type faces in contact therewith during a forward stroke of the ink roll, a plate affording a support and a track for said carriage, means to raise and lower said plate to dispose the ink roll in the plane of said type faces during said forward stroke and to raise the ink roll above said piane during the reverse stroke, the lastnamed means inciuding cam means for eFecting vertical 18 up and down movement of said plate, and means for timing operation of said cam means synchronously with the carriage drive means.

7. ln a printing machine of the kind described wherein printing devices bearing type characters are advanced one by one from a supply station to a sensing station whereat certain of the devices are selected for printing by sensing means and are fed from thence to a printing station whereat selected of the devices are to be used for printing, means to ink the type characters of the selected devices prior to their reaching the printing station and comprising, an ink roil supported rotatably by a carriage at an inking station for reciprocation in forward and reverse strokes and for rolling contact with the type faces of said type characters, drive means for said carriage to move the ink roti across said type faces in Contact therewith during a forward stroke of the ink roll, a plate affording a track for said carriage, said plate being adjustably supported by and beneath a head member, cam means to raise and lower said head member to dispose the ink roll in the plane of said type faces during said forward stroke and to raise the ink roll above said piane during the reverse stroke thereof, means to time operation of said cam means synchronously with the carriage drive means, and means to interrupt operation of the carriage drive means and to disable the timing means when the sensing means detect that a device is not to be used for printing.

8. A printing machine according to ciaim 7 wherein said cam means and the rive means for said carriage are driven through a one-revolution clutch and wherein the inking means includes a fountain relier driven through another clutch.

9. A maci ne according to claim 8 wherein the onerevoiution clutch is driven by said other clutch and wherein manual means are afforded to disable said other clutch.

l0. in a printing machine of the kind described wherein printing devices bearing type characters are advanced one by one from a supply station to a printing station whereat selected of the devices are to be used for printing, and wherein sensing means are afforded to select the devices to be used for printing, means to ink the type characters of the seiected devices prior to their reaching the printing station and comprising, an ink train including a fountain roller and a ductor roller for relaying ink to an ink roll,

rive means for said rollers and including a master clutch, an ink roll supported by a carriage for reciprocation in forward and reverse strokes and for rolling contact with the type faces of said type characters, drive means for said carriage to move the ink roll across said type faces in contact therewith during a forward stroke of 'the ink roll, means affording a track for said carriage, said track means being adjustably supported by and beneath a head member, cam means to raise and lower said head member to dispose the ink roll in the plane of said type faces during said forward stroke and to raise the ink roll above said plane during the reverse stroke thereof, said cam means and the drive means being driven through a onerevolution clutch, means to control said one-revolution clutch in response to operation of said sensing means, said fountain and ductor rollers and said one-revolution clutch being driven hrough a master clutch, and manual means for disabling said master clutch.

1l. A machine according to claim 10 wherein said cam means includes arms pivotally connected to said head ember, said arms having cam slots formed therein and which receive pins having iXed axes, and wherein there is a drive linkage connected to said arms for pivoting the arms in unison relative to said pins, said linkage being driven through said one-revolution clutch.

l2. Ink roll mechanism of the kind described comprising, a vertically movable head member, an ink roll beneath said head member and supported at least in part by said head member for rolling contact with type faces to be inked and for reciprocal motion in forward and reverse strokes, pivotally mounted arms connected to said head member for so moving the head member, said arms having generally horizontally directed cam edges formed thereon, pins having fixed axes disposed to engage said cam edges whereby the arms are forced to move in a vertical direction upon shifting the cam edges in engagement with said pins, said arms being connected for movement in unison, and means to pivot said arms.

13. Ink roll mechanism of the kind described comprising, a vertically movable head member, an ink roll beneath said head member and supported at least in part by said head member for rolling contact with type faces to be linked and for reciprocal motion in forward and reverse strokes, arms pivotally connected to said head member, being generally vertically disposed and having generally horizontally directed cam slots formed therein, pins having fixed horizontal axes disposed neatly in said cam slots to engage the edges of said slots to force said arms up and down upon pivoting the arms relative to said pins, said arms being connected for movement in unison, and means to pivot said arms to thereby raise and lower Y said head member and ink roll.

14. Ink roll mechanism of the kind described comprising, a vertically movable head member, an ink roll beneath said head member and supported at least in part by said head member for rolling contact with type faces to be inked and for reciprocal motion in forward and reverse strokes, pivotally mounted arms connected to said head member for so moving the head member, said arms having cam edges formed thereon, pins having fixed axes disposed to engage said cam edges, said arms being connected for movement in unison, and means to pivot said arms relative to said fixed pins.

15. Ink roll mechanism of the kind described comprising, a vertically movable head member, an ink roll beneath said head member and supported at least in part by said head member for rolling contact with type faces to be inked and for reciprocal motion in forward and reverse strokes, pivotally mounted arms connected to said head member for so moving the head member, said arms having cam edges formed thereon, pins having lixed axes disposed to engage said cam edges and force said arms in vertical directions upon moving the cam edges past said pins and in engagement therewith, said arms being connected for movement in unison, and means to pivot said arms to so move the cam edges.

16. Ink roll mechanism of the kind described comprising, a vertically movable head member, an ink roll beneath said head member and supported at least in part by said head member for rolling contact with type faces to be inked and for reciprocal motion in forward and reverse strokes, pivotally mounted arms connected to said head member for so moving the head member, said arms having cam edges formed thereon, pins having fixed axes disposed to engage said cam edges and force said arms in vertical directions upon moving the cam edges past said pins and in engagement therewith, said arms being connected for movement in unison, and means to pivot said arms to so move the cam edges, the last-named means including a drive linkage connected to one of said arms, other cam means for operating said drive linkage, and a one-revolution clutch for operating the other cam means.

17. In a printing machine of the kind described wherein printing devices bearing type characters are advanced by feed mechanism one by one from a supply station to a sensing station where certain of the devices are selected for printing and are fed from thence to a printing station whereat selected of the devices are to be used for printing, and wherein the feed mechanism is adapted to be disabled: means to ink the type characters of the selected devices prior to their reaching the printing station and comprising, an ink roll arranged at an inking station for reciprocation in forward and reverse strokes and for rolling contact with the type faces of said type characters, an ink train for relaying ink to said roll and including a fountain roller, means responsive to selection of a device for printing to drive the ink roll across the type facesof such a selected printing device in contact therewith durmg a forward stroke and to dispose the ink roll in the plane of said type faces during said forward stroke and to raise the ink roll above said plane during the reverse stroke thereof, drive means for turning the fountain roller, and means to disable the fountain roller drive means automatically as an incident to disabling of said feed mechanism. t

18. Inking mechanism of the kind described comprising an ink roll for inking type characters, means including a one-revolution clutch to reciprocate said ink roll and to move the ink roll in different planes during the course of reciprocation thereof, an ink train for relaying ink to said ink roll and including a fountain roller, drive means to turn the fountain roller, and means to actuate sa1d drive means including a master clutch of the constant drive type, and manual means to disable said master clutch, said one-revolution clutch being driven by said master clutch.

19. Inking mechanism of the kind described comprising an ink roll for inking type characters, means including a one-revolution clutch to reciprocate said ink roll and to move the ink roll in different planes during the course of reciprocation thereof, an ink train for relaying ink to said ink roll and including a fountain roller and a ductor roller and an oscillating roller, drive means common to said rollers and including a master clutch which also drives said one-revolution clutch, and manual means to disable said master clutch.

20. In a printing machine of the kind described wherein printing devices bearing type characters are advanced by feed mechanism one by one from a supply station to a sensing station where certain of the devices are selected for printing by sensing means and are fed from thence to a printing station whereat selected of the devices are to be used for printing, and wherein the feed mechanism is disabled at times to enable more than one print to be made from a particular printing device: means to ink the type characters of the selected devices prior to their reaching the printing station and comprising, an ink roll arranged for reciprocation in forward and reverse strokes and for rolling contact with the type faces of said type characters, ink roll drive means to so reciprocate the ink roll and to dispose the ink roll in one plane during one of said strokes and in a different plane during the other of said strokes, an ink train for relaying ink to said roll and including a fountain roller, means responsive to selection of a device for printing to actuate said ink roll drive means, drive means for turning the fountain roller, and means to disable the fountain roller drive means at times when more than one print is to be made as aforesaid.

21. In a printing machine of the kind described wherein printing devices bearing type characters are advanced one by one from a supply station to a sensing station whereat certain of the devices are selected for printing by sensing means and are fed from thence to a printing station whereat selected of the devices are to be used for printing: means to ink the type characters of the selected devices prior to their reaching the printing station and comprising, an ink roll arranged for reciprocation in forward and reverse strokes and for rolling contact with the type faces of said type characters, ink roll drive means to so reciprocate the ink roll and to dispose the ink roll in the plane of said type faces during said forward stroke and to raise the ink roll above said plane during the return stroke thereof, and means responsive to selection of a device for printing to actuate said ink roll drive means.

22. Ink roll mechanism of the kind described comprising, an ink roll support platen supported beneath a head member for adjustment in horizontal planes, said platen being formed with a track, an ink roll carriage having guide means disposed in said track, an ink roll rotatably supported by said carriage, drive arms connected to said carriage to reciprocate the carriage and the ink roll relative to said platen, pivotally mounted arms supporting said head member and having cam means associated therewith for vertically shifting said arms and said head member therewith to dispose the ink roll in different lplanes, drive means connected to said drive arms to repeatedly reciprocate said carriage, and drive means for repeatedly rocking said head member supporting arms.

23. Ink roll mechanism of the kind described comprising, an ink roll support platen supported beneath a head member for adjustment in horizontal planes relative to said head member, said platen being formed with a track, an ink roll carriage having guide rollers disposed in said track, an ink roll rotatably supported by said carriage, drive arms pivotally connected to said carriage to reciprocate the carriage and the ink roll relative to said platen, arms pivotally connected to and supporting said head member, mounting pins for said arms and having Xed axes, said arms having cam slots formed therein and embracing said pins, said cam slots being configured to cause raising and lowering of said head upon shifting the arms relative to said pins to thereby dispose the ink roll in different horizontal planes, drive means connected to said drive arms to repeatedly reciprocate said carriage, and drive means for repeatedly rocking said head member supporting arms.

24. Mechanism according to claim 23 wherein a main drive including a onerevolution clutch is common to both of said drive means.

25. Ink roll mechanism of the kind described comprising, an ink roll support plate supported beneath a head member, said plate being formed with a track, an ink roll carriage having guide means disposed in said track, au ink roll rotatably supported by said carriage, a drive arm connected to said carriage to reciprocate the carriage and the ink roll relative to said plate, support means pivotally connected to said head member and in turn being supported for a vertical stroke, said support means having cam means associated therewith for imparting a vertical stroke thereto and to said head member to dispose the ink roll in different horizontal planes, drive means connected to saidA drive arm to repeatedly reciprocate said carriage, and drive means for actuating said cam means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 640,745 Claridge Jan. 9, 1900 729,097 Read May 26, 1903 772,632 Proctor Oct. 18, 1904 1,305,778 Cushing June 3, 1919 1,843,254 Vandercook Feb. 2, 1932 1,919,954 Kranz July 25, 1933 1,985,701 Vandercook Dec. 25, 1934 2,765,734 Wagner Oct. 9, 1956 2,775,936 Curtis Ian. 1, 1957 

1. IN A PRINTING MACHINE OF THE KIND DESCRIBED WHEREIN PRINTING DEVICES BEARING TYPE CHARACTERS ARE ADVANCED ONE BY ONE FROM A SUPPLY STATION TO A SENSING STATION WHEREAT CERTAIN OF THE DEVICES ARE SELECTED FOR PRINTING BY SENSING MEANS AND ARE FED FROM THENCE TO A PRINTING STATION WHEREAT THE SELECTED OF THE DEVICES ARE TO BE USED FOR PRINTING, MEANS TO INK THE TYPE CHARACTERS OF THE SELECTED DEVICES PRIOR TO THEIR REACHING THE PRINTING STATION AND COMPRISING, AN INK ROLL ADAPTED TO UNDERGO AN INKING STATION FOR RECIPROCATION IN FORWARD AND REVERSE STROKES AND FOR ROLLING CONTACT WITH THE TYPE FACES OF SAID TYPE CHARACTERS, SAID INK ROLL BEING SUPPORTED IN A CARRIAGE MEANS TO DRIVE THE INK ROLL ABOVE SAID TYPE FACES AND IN CONTACT THEREWITH DURING A FORWARD STROKE OF THE INK ROLL, A VERTICALLY MOVABLE SUPPORT FOR THE CARRIAGE AND AFFORDING A GUIDE TRACK FOR GUIDING THE CARRIAGE IN ITS RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT, AND MEANS TO DISPOSE THE INK ROLL IN THE PLANE OF SAID TYPE FACES DURING SAID FORWARD STROKE AND TO RAISE THE INK ROLL ABOVE SAID PLANE DURING THE REVERSE STROKE THEREOF, THE LAST-NAMED MEANS INCLUDING CAM MEANS FOR EFFECTING VERTICAL UP AND DOWN MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE SUPPORT, AND MEANS FOR TIMING OPERATION OF SAID CAM MEANS SYNCHRONOUSLY WITH THE FORWARD AND REVERSE STROKES OF THE INK ROLL. 